Parking Mode

Dashcams are designed to record your drive. But do you know that BlackVue dashcam can record even when you are away?​ This is a useful feature if you are worry about hit-and-runs or vandalism on your parked vehicle. Most of the time, you may park your vehicles in public car parks with limited space which is more venerable to unforeseen incidents. All BlackVue dashcams come with Parking Mode features. Here we share a few important things about Parking Mode.

Frequently Asked Questions about Parking Mode

1) When does the dashcam switch to Parking Mode?

BlackVue Parking Mode activates after the dashcam’s accelerometer (G-sensors) detects that the vehicle is stationary for five minutes.

2) How does the dashcam records in Parking Mode?

In Parking Mode, your BlackVue is active all the time but does not write to the memory card, unless:

Movement is detected by the front or rear camera (sensitivity can be adjusted or turned off). In this case, it creates a one-minute Parking video recording that starts a few seconds before the trigger*. (Parking file will be marked as P in the file name)

An impact or vibration is picked up by the dashcam’s accelerometer (sensitivity can be adjusted). In this case, it creates a one-minute Event video recording that starts a few seconds before the trigger*. (Impact or event file will be marked as E in the file name)​​

​*The BlackVue constantly keeps the last few seconds of video in its buffer memory so as to catch the actions that led to the trigger.

​​We concluded that both motion and impact detection is equally important during parking mode as not all incidents in car park will be triggered only by impact, imagine vandals who come scratching your car may mostly triggers only the motion detection. With about 5 seconds of pre-buffered recording before the impact and motion detection is a crucial evident of how the whole incident happens. Don't you think it's really too late just to wake up the dashcam to only start recording when there's an impact detected??​

3) What are the advantages of Parking Mode over Normal Mode?

In Parking Mode, because it only records when something happens, your BlackVue minimizes the risks of overwriting important footage during long Parking Mode sessions. (With bigger file size due to higher resolution quality and video file from rear camera (if any) sharing into the same memory card, memory storage is always a concern especially for parking mode)It also reduces the stress on the microSD card, which helps extend the memory card’s lifespan.Additionally, the GPS module is turned off during Parking Mode, which reduces power consumption.

4) I have a dual-channel dashcam. Does Parking Mode works for both cameras?

The Parking videos can be triggered by motion detected by either the front or the rear (or interior) camera.The Event videos are triggered by vibrations detected by the accelerometer located in the front camera.In either case, the dashcam will save videos recorded by both the front and rear cameras.

5) Can I deactivate Parking Mode?

Yes, Parking Mode can be deactivated in your camera’s settings.In this case, the dashcam will continue recording in Normal Mode as long as it is powered, even if the vehicle is stationary for more than five minutes.

6) What do I need to enable Parking Mode?

By default, BlackVue dashcams come with a male cigar lighter power adapter to plug in your vehicle’s cigar socket.On the majority of vehicles, this cigar lighter socket is not powered unless ignition is on.To enable the parking mode, you need the following Power Solutions:

1) Cellink Battery which is a dedicated battery pack which can be hard wired or using the cigar jack. ​2) Power Magic Pro which is a hardwiring kit that taps the power from your car battery.

Cellink Battery

​Cellink battery has the option to be charged using the cigar jack or hardwired to the fuse box. Normally, it will be hidden under your seat, inside the dashboard or in the boot area. With only about an hour of charging time while driving, it can lasts up to 48 hours to a one channel dashcam (*) or up to 22 hours to a dual-channel (*) dashcam when your vehicle is parked. The most important points of using Cellink battery is that it will not affect your car battery performance and life. It will also prevent any unforeseen error from sensitive electronics of any cars. ​Unlike conventional lithium-ion battery packs found in consumer electronics like phones or laptop computers, the Power Magic Battery Pack is of the LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) type. LiFePO4 batteries are highly resistant to heat, which is critical to ensure safe operation in a vehicle. Moreover, LiFePO4 batteries have an overall higher lifespan (based on number of charge/discharge cycles) when compared to lithium-ion batteries.​* Dashcam models dependants

Parking mode & BlackVue Over the Cloud

Monitor your car from anywhere, anytime​Parking Mode takes a whole new dimension with BlackVue Over the Cloud.When your dashcam is connected to the Cloud, you can be alerted instantly of anything that happens in Parking Mode.Receive Push Notifications alert messages when Parking recording starts (in case of motion) and/or when an Event recording starts (in case of impact).Then you can instantly check what is actually happening around your car with Remote Live View.

Impact push notification in action

​Impact detected → Buffered Event recording + Impact Push Notification sent to phoneIn the video below, you can see a van trying to park and bumping into the BlackVue owner’s car in the process. The bump was detected by the dashcam’s accelerometer. Since the dashcam was connected to the Cloud, it sent a Push Notification to the owner’s phone, who happened to be at his workplace nearby. He was then able to run out and catch the driver who was seemingly trying to drive away. After the driver feigned not knowing he had hit the car, our dashcam owner downloaded and showed him the video footage. The van driver had nothing more to say.Video credits: Jerry Z